I WAS DRIVING MY CAR TO A CHARITY EVENT HOSTED BY A HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS TEAM WHEN I NOTICED STEAM COMING FROM MY ENGINE BAY. ALL MY CARS COOLANT LEAKED OUT INTO THE PARKING LOT AND IT CREATED A VERY LARGE PUDDLE. MY WHEELS WERE COVERED IN COOLANT AND IT CREATED AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION FOR THE PARTICIPANTS BEHIND ME WHO WERE FOLLOW ME INTO THE CAR WAS. AS ALL OF THE COOLANT EVACUATED MY CAR, IT IS A MIRACLE THAT IT DID NOT HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY WHERE IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. BECAUSE THE CAUSE OF THIS WAS FAULTY COOLANT LINES, MY ALTERNATOR WAS ALSO SHORTED AND NEED TO BE REPLACED, AGAIN, IF THIS HAPPENED ON A LONG TRIP OR ON THE FREEWAY I COULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED. *TR
2005
ENGINE
I WAS DRIVING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT ON INTERSTATE 79 NORTHBOUND AT APPROXIMATELY MILE MARKER 3 BETWEEN MINK SHOALS AND ELKVIEW, WV. I HAD JUST PICKED UP A PIZZA AND I WAS HEADED HOME A FEW MILES FROM MY HOUSE. I WAS GOING UPHILL WHEN I HEARD A POP AND SAW A HUGE PLUME OF STEAM SHOOT OUT FROM BEHIND MY CAR. I THEN TAPPED THE BRAKES AND THE REAR RIGHT TIRE GOT A LITTLE LOOSE AS IT HAD ANTIFREEZE COOLANT SPRAYING DIRECTLY ON IT. I MANAGED TO GET MY CAR HOME AS IT WAS QUICKLY STARTING TO GET HOT AND CLOSE TO OVERHEATING AS THERE WAS NO COOLANT LEFT. I GOOGLED "PORSCHE 911 COOLANT LINE FAILURE" AND QUICKLY LEARNED THAT MY ISSUE HAD HAPPENED TO MANY OTHERS.I LEARNED THAT FROM THE FACTORY PORSCHE GLUES/EPOXIES THE COOLANT FITTINGS INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK AND OVER TIME AND MANY HEAT CYCLES LATER THE GLUE/EPOXY FAILS AND THE COOLANT SPRAYS EVERYWHERE AND MANY TIMES DIRECTLY ON THE REAR TIRES. THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AND ANYONE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY. I PERFORMED A QUICK FIX ON MY CAR AND PINNED THE FITTING BACK INTO THE BLOCK. I LATER LEARNED THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAD TO BE DROPPED AND EACH OF THE 6 COOLANT LINES NEEDED TO BE WELDED TOGETHER TO TRULY PREVENT THIS FROM BEING A HAZARD. I PAID SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HAVE THE ENGINE DROPPED AND FIXED LIKE PORSCHE SHOULD HAVE DONE FROM THE FACTORY. THEY SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THE ISSUE AND OFFERED TO FIX THE FAILED COOLANT LINES UNDER A RECALL BUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE THIS HAS NOT BEEN DONE. PORSCHE CLAIMS NO FAULT OF THEIRS. MANY PERFORMANCE DRIVING EVENTS HAVE IDENTIFIED THE ISSUE AND WON'T LET YOU DRIVE YOUR CAR AT THEIR EVENT UNLESS THE ISSUE HAS BEEN PROPERLY ADDRESSED BY DROPPING THE ENGINE. WHEN YOU SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY ON A CAR OR ANY MONEY FOR THAT MANNER YOU EXPECT THE CAR MANUFACTURE TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP YOUR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS A HIGH PRIORITY. *TR